The Nine-Tailed Twins
by CallMeAsh
Summary: Together since the day they were born, what will they do once the shinobi world threatens to tear them apart?
1. Prologue

[Author's Note]: I was not planning on ever posting this story simply because I wrote it for my sake and no one else's. But... I decided to post it anyway. I probably won't post the rest unless someone absolutely demands it.

I'm actually nervous about posting the prologue (have been putting it off for _days_) and will probably regret it. Why am I doing this again?

Be warned, it's really long. I had to pack their whole childhood into one chapter.

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**Prologue - The Early Years**

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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the reinstated Hokage, stared into the crib with exhausted eyes. It had been six months, six long months, since the Kyuubi attack. The citizens of Konohagakure were currently rebuilding the last of the damaged parts of the village, but the healing of the peoples' spirit was far from complete. The Third himself was still mourning for the loss of his dear wife, his predecessor, and the countless others lost on that tragic day.

What was meant to be a joyous day for Minato and Kushina had turned into a day of catastrophe for Konoha. Hiruzen not only mourned for himself, no, he mourned for the two infants cuddling with each other in the crib before him as well. The day of their birth would never be a happy day. It would always be remembered as the day the Kyuubi laid waste to the village, the day Konoha lost one of the greatest men within the shinobi nations, the day many would remember as the day they lost their loved ones. The Uzumaki twins deserved to be hailed as heroes to the Land of Fire, but human nature would make that close to impossible.

Already the Hokage has had countless requests that the twins be 'removed' from the village by less than favorable means. Not only did those requests sicken him inside – they were only infants, after all –, but killing them would result in the Kyuubi being reborn into the world without a jinchuriki to contain it. When he firmly rejected any requests that ended in the twins' death, there were requests to move them to a different location. Hiruzen rejected these ideas as firmly as the others. Konoha was their home, their parents' home. He would not remove them from the land that belonged to them.

One of the twins made a sound, drawing the aging man out of his thoughts. The female twin was snuggled into her brother's side, gripping his sleeve like he would vanish at any moment. Naruto, the male twin, held his sister close to him with all the strength an infant could like he was protecting her from anything that dared to harm her.

Hiruzen found himself smiling at the display of sibling love before him. All of the grief in the world could not affect the love they shared for each other. The Hokage was happy for that. He wasn't naïve enough to believe their childhood was going to be easy. As a shinobi and as Hokage he knew there would be plenty of trouble the twins would be involved in.

But at least they had each other.

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Nazuna Uzumaki felt her brother's hand tighten within her own. Her eyes looked over to her left to meet Naruto's gaze. His other hand was clenching the front of his own shirt, the limb imperceptibly shaking. "Don't be nervous, Naru-kun. You want to be a ninja, right?"

Naruto blinked before lowering his eyes to the ground. It was only a moment before his head shot up with newfound determination swirling in his blue orbs. "Yeah! I'm going to be the best ninja in Konoha, dattebayo!"

Nazuna smiled a smile she only gave to her brother as they made their way into the crowd of people standing in front of the Academy. Parents dropping off their children watched the twins walk past them with hard glares that Nazuna didn't see, but felt. One look at Naruto told her that he felt them, too. The oldest Uzumaki fought the urge to twitch as she led her brother into the group of children waiting to be given a class.

The Hokage stood before the crowd with a small smile on his lips. He began his inspirational speech about how once the children entered the halls of the Academy their lives as shinobi would begin. Nazuna kept her eyes trained on the old man, but his words were pretty much lost on her ears. Instead of listening to the same speech Naruto and she had been given the day the old man had announced they would be entering the Academy, she took in every detail of the old man three times over. Anything that would keep her mind off of the hateful glares being sent her way.

Naruto flinched when the hand holding his tightened. He didn't have to look at his sister to know that her jaw was clenched, that her eyes were hard as steel, and that the hand not holding his was flexing in and out of a fist. Naruto knew his sister was becoming agitated because of the amount of unnecessary negativity being directed at them.

"Nazu-chan?"

At the sound of her brother's worried voice, Nazuna forced her growing anger to dissipate. There was no excuse for worrying Naruto on his big day. Giving her twin the smile reserved for only him, she reassured him that she was fine without the use of words. Satisfied with it, Naruto turned back to watch the Hokage.

Once the Hokage was finished, the teachers of the Academy began calling forth the students assigned to their classes. Naruto's ear perked up as each shinobi came up to the podium. This was the day he had been waiting for all week. He was finally going to become a ninja! The excited blond couldn't wait for his name to be called forth.

Nazuna watched her brother practically bounce in anticipation as the names were called. Her small smile showed him her support, but her eyes showed her hesitancy. What if her and Naruto were separated? That was unacceptable. They wouldn't take the only person she cared for in the whole world away, would they? Not if they didn't want the Academy burned to the ground they wouldn't…

A young man with brown hair, a scar across the bridge of his nose, and kind eyes that didn't belong on a shinobi took the podium next. He scratched the bridge of his nose anxiously, as if this were the first time he was given a class. "Alright, I'm Iruka Umino. The students in my class are Shino Aburame…" a boy with sunglasses on headed over to the designated spot for the next class to be led into their classroom. Iruka went on down the list. Naruto's enthusiasm was starting to wane, he wondered if his name would ever be called. "Sasuke Uchiha…" a little boy with black hair and dark eyes separated himself from the group of children. "Naruto Uzumaki…" said boy almost jumped in the air with an upraised fist. His name had finally been called! "Nazuna Uzumaki…" This time, Naruto turned to his sister with a grin that could melt the toughest of men. She smirked at him, being dragged enthusiastically to where their class was waiting.

Nazuna chose to ignore the way Iruka's voice had risen when saying their names. Nothing could affect the happiness she felt at being in the same class as her beloved twin. The hard stares followed the twins with each step they took, but they weren't paid any heed. What the young Uzumakis had done to them they didn't know, but it didn't matter at that moment.

All that mattered was the twins were still together; they were going to become shinobi together.

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"Nazu-chaaaan," Naruto whined as he poked the side of his still-sleeping sister. The female Uzumaki didn't move an inch as he increased the power put behind his pokes. She groaned at the unkind assault on her peaceful sleep, but didn't open her eyes. "Nazu-chan, it's time to get up! We're going to be late!"

Nazuna uncovered her head to give him an 'I don't care' look that only she could pull off so splendidly whilst half-asleep. Naruto thought his efforts had been a success – she was awake –, but deflated when his sister only buried herself further under the blanket. He growled before yanking the covers off of their shared bed, revealing his rumpled sister's form. This time her eyes opened completely to glare at him for removing her warmth. He yelped as he was pulled down onto the mattress, his sister snuggling into his side as if he were a teddy bear.

Nazuna wrapped her small arms tightly around his waist; one of her legs was thrown over his, making escape futile. She nuzzled her head under his jaw, breathing in his refreshing scent. Naruto lied on his back with a blush heating his cheeks. His sister was so affectionate sometimes that it completely belied the attitude she had in front of others. "Nazu-chaaan," he whined.

"Five more minutes, Naru-kun, and I promise I will get up." Nazuna sighed comfortably, already wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

Naruto relaxed in his sister's hold, knowing she meant it. Nazuna was a lot of things, but she always kept her word. True to her promise, five minutes later the twins began leaving the orphanage to head to the Academy.

"You could be a little friendlier, Nazu-chan. You'll never make friends with a frown!" Nazuna was being led through the streets by the hand that was grasped loosely in her brother's, not minding in the slightest that Naruto liked to lead the way. She shrugged lamely.

Naruto looked at her expectantly. "I don't need friends. I have you." Her brother sighed dramatically at her response. "What?"

"You _always_ say that!"

"It's true. The only person I need is you."

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Kiba Inuzuka didn't know how big of an impact the simple decision to sit beside the Uzumaki twins would have on his life, but if he had known it would not have changed his mind. No one else in the class, in the entire Academy, gave them a second look and if they did it wasn't a friendly look. But the young Inuzuka could respect the love the siblings had. Every member of his clan honored the bonds of family and apparently so did the twins. Besides every other seat was full or the people behind the other desks bothered him.

He plopped down in the seat unoccupied beside the female twin, who appeared to be sleeping soundly on her desk, thinking adamantly about the puppy his mother had just given him. His own ninken! Said puppy rested upon his head with small yips escaping every now and then. Kiba patted Akamaru with a dog-like grin. Even at the young age of six, he knew that Akamaru and he would be risking their lives together in the future. The bond they made now was meant to carry on into battle; such was the way of the Inuzuka.

Nazuna watched the dog boy through the veil of her hair as he sat down. It was a very rare occurrence for anyone to willingly sit next to the two Uzumakis, which meant she analyzed anyone that dared to do so. It was a classic act she pulled off flawlessly; pretend to be asleep on her desk, using her arms as a pillow, while she observed everything around her. No one was the wiser except for her brother. Everyone simply thought she was as lazy as that Nara kid.

Suddenly a light yip made its way to her ears, which sounded awfully like a puppy. Nazuna eyed the suspicious white ball curled up on the boy's head that she now noticed was breathing. _That wasn't there last year…_ Suddenly she sat up completely.

Naruto nearly fell out of his chair with the Inuzuka boy not far behind. Both had not expected the seemingly sleeping girl to move so quickly. When Naruto noticed his sister staring at the white lump on the other boy's head, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Nazuna didn't react to much unless it was a threat to his or her safety. Instantly on guard, he stared down the other boy.

Kiba stared right back once he got over his surprise. "What are you looking at?"

"You, idiot! What's that on your head, huh?" Naruto was ready to jump over Nazuna to pounce on the Inuzuka if the white ball turned out to be a threat.

"It's a puppy, Naruto-kun." She said blandly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her brother's anger subsided as her words set in. No wonder she had reacted so suddenly; Nazuna loved dogs. His sister thought he didn't notice, but she was always sneaking food to the strays behind the orphanage. It was a big thing for her because the twins weren't exactly given generous amounts of food, but she still felt responsible for feeding a pack of stray dogs.

Kiba stayed alert, not knowing what to do about the situation. In a way his respect grew; the female had reacted and the brother had immediately went on guard. Teamwork. "This is Akamaru, my ninken, and I'm Kiba!" He felt it proper to introduce himself along with his dog to the two he shared a table with.

Nazuna never took her eyes off of the puppy. "Nazuna," she said simply.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! You better remember that name, too, because I'm going to be the greatest shinobi in the village!" Naruto grinned like a madman, not one to be used to friendly introductions..

Kiba grinned back. _Maybe these guys won't be so bad…_

Thus a questionable and very odd friendship was born.

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It was when the twins were seven years old that Nazuna knew they were different.

Not counting the whisker marks on their cheeks, the hateful glares, the countless businesses that refused their service, the number of times they had been attacked in alleys, the amount of people that simply wanted the twins dead, and the lack of sufficient care the two received…there were _signs_ that made the female Uzumaki come to the conclusion that her brother and her were different from the other villagers.

Once, when Nazuna had received a rather impressive cut on her forearm from the wrong end of a kitchen knife, she had begun cleansing the wound minutes later only to see that the wound was already closing. She sat there as the wound healed without any kind of treatment in mere minutes; something not even a skilled shinobi could pull off without medical jutsu.

"Naru-kun, how long does it take for your wounds to heal?"

Naruto pondered that for a good ten seconds before shrugging. "A few minutes, I guess. If it's really bad it takes a bit longer. Why?"

_So Naruto heals quickly, too._ That was suspicious. "It's nothing," she lied. Nazuna loved her brother very much, more than anything, but he wasn't the sharpest kunai in the weapons store. Telling him her suspicions without any clue as to what it could possibly mean would only end in him being confused.

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Hiruzen's pipe was snapped in half with a loud 'crack' that echoed throughout his office. Two ANBU members stood in front of him in uniform, both obviously trying to hide the nervous shifting of their feet. The Third Hokage was a feared shinobi, even in his old age, and he was a force to be reckoned with when he was angry.

And, oh, the Hokage was _angry_.

"The woman running the orphanage will be brought in for questioning before the day is over, understood?" His voice was clipped, not that far from a snarl. The nerve of some people, he thought grimly. Not only did that infuriating woman kick out the twins without informing him, she had continued to accept the checks sent for them for the current month. If not for the two ANBU sent to watch over the twins, Hiruzen wouldn't have known about the matter for weeks. Luckily it had only been three days, but the fact remained that the eight year old children had been homeless during that time.

One ANBU nodded before departing the office with a hidden frown under his boar mask. Hiruzen turned to the other. "Follow the twins like usual, I will be finding them a suitable apartment before the day is through. This is unacceptable."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

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Hinata Hyuuga sat under a tree in the courtyard that was several feet away from the trio her eyes always seemed to linger on. The pale orbs each Hyuuga possessed glowed with longing. She desperately wanted to eat lunch with them, with Naruto, but knew it was a lost cause. After the incident in the woods a year prior, Hinata doubted she would ever be welcome in the tight-knit group composed of Kiba, his ninken, and the Uzumaki twins.

She hadn't even stayed with Naruto after he had so valiantly come to her rescue as she was bullied by a group of older boys; something the female Uzumaki had not appreciated. It would be so easy to say, "It wasn't my fault. My caretaker forced me to leave," but that would just be seen as an excuse. She knew it was her own fault for not being to stand up to anyone, much less anyone from her family. The shame she had felt after that only grew when Naruto's sister had glared at her for a week straight.

_"My brother was knocked unconscious after defending you and you abandoned him." _Hinata cringed at the memory. _"Coward."_ How true those words were, she decided with tears burning the edges of her eyes. Would she have been laughing with the trio if she had stayed with Naruto against her caretaker's orders? Would she have been a part of that trio? Would she have friends now if she hadn't been held back by her own lack of courage?

With her eyes back on the group she admired from afar, she watched silently as the usual scene progressed. The boys were arguing over something trivial while the girl ignored the ruckus with Akamaru on her lap. Hinata's gaze always lingered on Naruto the longest; he was everything she wanted to be. Kiba seemed a lot like the blond boy, which made him appealing in her eyes. The female of the group, however, intimidated the Hyuuga without even trying.

Naruto's sister was not someone who set out to purposely scare people, but she just held herself in a way that said 'mess with me and you'll regret it' that belied her calm demeanor. Hinata knew the girl wouldn't start anything, but would be the one to finish it. Especially when it came to Naruto. It was clear to everyone that if you wanted to mess with the female Uzumaki's twin, you had to go through her to do it.

"Where are you going, Nazu-chan? Hey, Nazu-chan!"

"Nazuna-chan, what do you think you're doing? You kidnapped Akamaru!" The shouts from the boys of the group drew Hinata's eyes to the figure that was headed in her direction, to the eyes that met hers without a flicker of emotion. A lump of anxiety formed in her throat. Was she coming over to yell at her for watching them?

Nazuna stood over the Hyuuga girl with what she hoped was a pleasant expression. Akamaru barked happily in her arms, his tongue rolling out of his mouth. She watched the shy girl squirm under her gaze with a growing sense of agitation. This didn't feel like such a good idea anymore…but then again it never had. "Come eat with us," she said in a way that didn't allow for argument.

"Uh…" Hinata felt so stupid in that moment. She had just been given the offer of her dreams! "W-why?"

Nazuna looked at her dubiously. "It's better than just watching, isn't it?" Before the Hyuuga could offer any more argument or faint from mortification, the Uzumaki held out the puppy in her arms with a rare brightness in her eyes. Akamaru yipped before licking Hinata on the nose playfully. Said girl giggled at the feel of his tongue on her skin before blushing. "I'm Nazuna."

"Hinata," the shy girl said while she lowered her gaze to the ground.

Naruto and Kiba were obviously curious to the reasoning behind Nazuna's random decision to be social with someone other than them. Even Kiba, the boy that had been their friend for two years now, had trouble getting the antisocial girl to open up to him. Yet she was willingly bringing in another misfit to add to their small group.

Naruto, knowing his sister always had a reason for the things she did, went along with it. "Hi, Hinata-chan! You remember me, right? I'm Naruto!"

Hinata nodded, telling him that she did remember him.

"I'm Kiba and this is Akamaru!" The Inuzuka said brightly as his ninken barked from Nazuna's arms. Noticing that she was still in possession of his dog, Kiba turned to her. "Hey, don't just take Akamaru like that!"

"He wasn't complaining." Nazuna rubbed Akamaru behind the ear with a playful smirk the Hyuuga had never seen before. "Were you, Akamaru?" The puppy woofed, completely content with being in her arms.

Kiba's jaw dropped dramatically while Naruto snickered beside him. "Traitor," the Inuzuka mumbled under his breath.

Hinata mused over this for a long minute. She was being accepted into the group she had watched for so long, allowed to see a side of Nazuna not many ever saw, able to sit by Naruto every day. Was she dreaming?

"Welcome to the group, Hinata-chan!"

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It was one week after their ninth birthday that the twins began to fear what they held inside them.

The alley was dark, cutting the twins off from any light remaining in the sky. Naruto and Nazuna stood side by side with the wall of a building at their backs. Three figures soaked in the stench of alcohol loomed before them like grim reapers prepared to take them to the grave. The civilian men had deep frowns etching permanent lines into their faces as they gazed down at the twins with nothing but hate swirling in their eyes.

Naruto gripped his sister's hand tightly in his larger one, planning to never let go. His blue eyes glared at the men before them, daring them to make a move. It had been stupid to come out near nighttime, but he had begged and begged until Nazuna had relented. All he wanted was a piece of candy from the only vendor that welcomed them. Now, because of his stupidity, his sister was in danger along with him.

A scowl crossed her usually emotionless features as the hand holding hers began to shake involuntarily. Trailing her eyes up to look at Naruto, her eyes widened a millimeter. His jaw was clenched almost painfully, his eyes harder than steel, and his fist balled up ready to fight. It was the tell-tale signs that he was angry, because Nazuna did the same thing, but there was something else. Naruto's body was trembling. He was scared.

Nazuna's eyes narrowed dangerously at the men that were slowly inching closer toward their targets. Long, blunt objects dangled out of their hands that reflected what little light there was in the alley. _Pipes?_ One man raised the arm with the weapon to strike her brother, but Nazuna was too fast. Using everything she was learning in the Academy, she blocked the man's arm. Without wasting a second, the female Uzumaki quickly broke the man's wrist without a single ounce of guilt. The man wailed in pain as the bone shattered in her grasp.

She faltered for only a second as the meaning behind her actions caught up with her mind. Had she really just done that? Yes, it was obvious she had. Nazuna felt her stomach churn as it settled in her mind that she had just _broke a man's wrist_ and at the time hadn't felt an ounce of regret, but had actually _enjoyed_ making the man hurt.

**That felt good, didn't it? Do you want to make these weaklings feel more pain? I can help.** Nazuna blinked as the man fell to the ground clutching his wounded limb. That voice…that malicious voice. Where had it come from?

A sharp pain erupted in her spine as one of the other men nailed her with his weapon. She dropped to the ground unceremoniously with a loud 'thump'. Nazuna sprung back up before the man stomped on her stomach.

Naruto watched his sister break away from him with a shout spilling from his lips. He began to run forward to stop her, to escape the alley with her in tow, but was stopped cold by the sickening snap of a bone being broken. When the thought sunk in that Nazuna, _his sister_, had been the cause of that bone being broken and that she had done it without a second thought Naruto felt sick.

Suddenly, the front of his mind was invaded with a guttural voice that made his blood run cold. Its words were trying to tempt him, no, not him. It was trying to tempt _Nazuna_. Naruto growled. What was this? What was going on?

It was only when he witnessed his sister being slammed in the back with a pipe that his mind went back into action. The youngest Uzumaki leapt into action without any hesitation. It would have been easy to run away from the sight, to try and get help, but he would not leave his sister alone to fight these men. If she wasn't afraid of them, then neither was he.

Naruto Uzumaki was no coward.

Besides…no one in this village would come to their aid.

The man with the broken wrist abandoned his friends to search for medical attention; now it was two on two and the twins weren't backing down. It was foolish; Iruka-sensei would have exploded if he could have seen it. The two children stood tall against the remaining men without a flicker of fear. Each twin was only thinking about the safety of the other, neither willing to allow harm to their sibling.

Nazuna ducked under a flying fist, narrowly missing it. **These guys are nothing but weak maggots, not even shinobi. It'd be so easy to hurt them like you did that other one. What are you waiting for?**

_ Who are you?_ Nazuna was distracted for a second too long, her focus shifting from the fight to the terrible voice in her head, the side of a pipe swiping over her head as she barely dodged. **It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I can help you defeat these men. All you have to do is give in to me. **Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest as a surge of raw power filtered through her veins. It was only a taste of what the creature in her mind could do, but it was enough to make her thoroughly consider it.

If she gave in, she'd have the power to protect Naruto.

"SHUT UP!" Naruto screamed into the alley with a low growl. His eyes stayed focused on the man slinking toward him, but she knew that wasn't the person he was talking to. "Don't listen to him, Nazu-chan!"

She blinked. How could he hear the voice, too? It was in _her_ head. Further thought was cut off sharply as her opponent's pipe was slammed into her skull, knocking her to the ground quicker than a raindrop. Black rings were at the edges of her vision, her head throbbed in time with her heartbeat, and the functions of her limbs had all but been forgotten. She barely saw when the man lifted up the pipe to bash her over the head again, but she did see Naruto stop him.

Naruto was growling like a beast as he threw the pipe back, but didn't have a chance to stop the other man from throwing the young Uzumaki against the brick wall. His head made a sickening crack as the force behind the throw made the bricks crumble slightly behind his weight. The assailant followed up quickly enough by sending sharp stomps into his stomach, making the child groan in pain over and over. Finally, he just stopped feeling as darkness encroached upon him.

**He's going to die. Are you going to lie there helplessly or are you going to make these men pay? **Nazuna didn't have to be asked twice. As blood began to pool around her brother's head, drip out of his mouth, and stain his hair…she gave in. With a strangled roar, her body leapt off of the ground with speed she should not have possessed. Her once blue eyes blinked to reveal the blood red eyes of a beast; red eyes that showed nothing but hatred. The blood in her veins boiled, her body shrouded in red chakra that was definitely not her own.

There were screams of terror as the young girl launched herself onto the man that had brutally assaulted her dear brother. Shouts of 'demon' filled her ears while her body moved on its own, tearing the man away from Naruto with a speed she hadn't possessed minutes before. Nazuna growled as she threw the man onto the ground, a loud crash making her lips form a devilish smirk.

The rational part of her mind flinched when the man's leg broke under her foot, but the bloodthirsty rage that had overcome her pushed away the hesitations she was beginning to feel. She blacked out as she continued to rain punishment onto her brother's assailant. "NAZU-CHAN!" Naruto's pain-filled voice reached her ears, halting any action her body had been in the middle of. Nazuna froze as she waged war within her own mind, trying to gain control over her hatred.

She turned her head sharply to see her brother trying to sit up, clutching his stomach with a grimace highlighting his features. One of Naruto's eyes was shut tightly in pain, but the other was looking at her with fear. Not fear of her, but what she had done.

The red chakra pulsed around her like a heartbeat, her fingers twitching impatiently. Nazuna took a deep breath, forcing her eyes away from her brother to the man lying on the ground before her. The still-red orbs widened in horror at the sight of the bloody mass mere inches from her feet. The man was covered in more blood than Nazuna had ever seen; his leg alone made her stomach knot up in disgust. Said leg was mangled beyond belief with a white bone poking out amongst the red, his cheek was sliced almost all the way through.

Nazuna looked at her hands with fear, her panic rising as she saw the man's blood covering her palms and filtering out through her fingers. The red chakra pulsed one last time before vanishing completely; her rage overcome by her fear. She took several steps back with her eyes slowly turning back to their original blue; her pupils returned to circles instead of beast-like slits.

She looked back toward her brother with wide eyes. "Naru-kun, I-I didn't mean to…" Nazuna shook her head violently, trying to rid herself of the crime she had committed. They would execute her for this; she'd forever be labeled as a monster. Naruto would be all alone in the world without her. How could she have done this?

_He deserved it for what he did to Naruto, _a darker part of her mind thought. Nazuna's heart beat erratically in her chest, a side effect of the adrenaline that had filled her before. She shook her head again to get rid of the dark thoughts swirling in her brain. It wasn't right. _He was only a civilian._

Naruto coughed, blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. Before he could say anything he collapsed once more. Nazuna rushed to his side, planning to hold him, but stopped suddenly. She still had the man's blood on her hands; Naruto couldn't be touched with sullied hands. _Will Naruto hate me after this?_ That thought made her heart clench painfully. What would she do if Naruto hated her?

What if Naruto never wanted her to be near him again?

Nazuna's world began to crumble around her as images of her twin banishing her from his side crept into her mind. She bit down sharply on her lip to stop the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, the taste of blood mingling with her saliva as her canines pierced skin.

Three ANBU materialized in the dark alley without a sound. Nazuna knelt next to her twin, watching them with her earlier panic still evident in her eyes. One inspected the man with green chakra surrounding his hands, a medical jutsu. The others made a move toward the twins and she knew she was defenseless against two elite shinobi, but she still stood before her brother's unconscious body with an obvious warning in her eyes.

"This man is still alive. I'm taking him to the hospital now," one ANBU said before departing the alley. Nazuna didn't move her eyes away from the two remaining ANBU as he did so.

One held up a placating hand. "Your brother needs medical attention. We won't harm him." It was only for her benefit that they didn't just knock her out and do as they pleased; she had no doubt that they could do so without her being able to do anything about it.

Nazuna met the spot where the shinobi eyes were. "How can I trust you? No one has ever given a damn if either one of us received treatment before. You've been there the whole time, but you still let that man hurt him in the first place! You…you let me hurt that man!" Her rising hysteria stopped her from falling back into her usual stoicism.

The ANBU members felt their muscles tense. In their defense, they had just started their shift as the fight broke out. Two teams watched the twins on a daily basis. One in the daytime that was composed of two rookie ANBU members and one at night with three ANBU members. The Hokage asked for more during the night shift because most of the attacks and 'accidents' that could harm the twins occurred after the sun went down. But neither of the twins were supposed to know that, yet this girl seemed to.

"You are welcome to come with him. The Hokage will meet you there to pass judgment."

Nazuna narrowed her eyes before stepping aside to let the men take her brother away. The rest of it was a blur and before she knew it, Nazuna was sitting in a chair beside her brother's hospital bed.

Her eyes were trained on the prone form of Naruto, the only family she had, with sorrow in the deepest parts of the blue orbs. Constant worries of how her brother would react to her once he woke up bombarded her mind, making the morbid images of her crime retreat to the back of her thoughts. Nazuna wouldn't know what to do if Naruto ended up hating her or fearing her; she'd be lost without the constant comfort her twin provided. She could handle everyone else hating her, but not him. The villagers never bothered her because she had her own personal ray of sunshine in the form of her exuberant twin. Without him she would be vulnerable, weak to the overwhelming hatred of her fellow villagers.

What had possessed her to commit such a stupid crime? She knew better than anyone that once this was released to the council she'd be lined up for execution. The men and women of the Hokage's advisors would jump at the chance to rid themselves of either of the Uzumaki twins and Nazuna had just given them that chance by giving in to whatever being had been invading her mind. It was stupid, idiotic. The female Uzumaki cursed herself over and over for committing such an act that could possibly part her from her beloved Naruto forever.

That voice had been so seductive, so reasonable at the time. Where had it come from and why could Naruto hear it, too? There was more to this than met the eye and Nazuna was determined to discover the truth. _Maybe the villagers have a reason to hate us._ They had called her a demon, were they right? If Naruto hadn't called out to her, would Nazuna have killed that man? _Yes._ She knew it without a doubt. That man's life was no concern of hers, held no value in her eyes. He had hurt Naruto, which was enough to warrant his death. _No one_ was allowed to hurt her twin.

The female Uzumaki was suffering from emotional turmoil as she once again reached out for her brother's hand, only to pull it away with uncertainty.

"He'll forgive you," the old man's voice filtered through the haze her emotions had created. Nazuna looked toward the door to see the Hokage walk in with his face appearing even older than it was. This situation had probably made him consider retirement.

Nazuna looked back at Naruto's sleeping face. "How do you know that, old man? You weren't there, didn't see his face." She watched the Hokage's eyebrow twitch at her blatant disrespect.

"If he was in your place, would you forgive him?" The Hokage watched the young girl's eyes flicker with an emotion he didn't understand. His eyes softened as they landed on the sleeping form on the bed, his mind instantly imagining his predecessor. What would Minato do in this situation? The old man had been wondering that a lot in the past few years. He had no doubts the Yondaime would have handled things much better than he, especially when it came to Minato's own children.

Nazuna fell deeper into herself. "Naruto is much stronger than I. If he was in my place, he would have picked me up and ran away. He wouldn't have given in to his anger so easily." She sighed. That was true, however, she knew that if Naruto ever did something like this or worse even that she wouldn't even need to forgive him because she would never be upset with him in the first place. Naruto was perfect in her eyes. He could kill her in cold blood and she'd believe with everything in her that he had a good reason for doing so then die happy that the last person she saw was him. "I'd forgive him no matter the crime."

Hiruzen eyed Nazuna with calculating eyes. "He will feel the same."

"We'll see." Nazuna said no more as she finally let herself brush his cheek. "It won't matter if I'm executed."

The Hokage's eyes fell to the floor. There had already been many requests for her death, but he had calmed the storm as best he could. It hadn't been released that the Kyuubi's chakra had been involved, if they knew that then there would be no salvation for the young girl before him. The seal was designed to let the twins use the fox's chakra and later master it, but the fox trying to gain control over one of them or both is a risk the Hokage acknowledges. But the Fourth had faith in his children so he would as well. What frightened him was that she had touched it so soon. Did she know that the fox was sealed within her? If she didn't know now, she would soon. Nazuna was one of the brightest kunoichi of her age, having inherited her father's intellect.

"The ANBU state that the civilians attacked you two first, even injuring you both before you countered. Three grown men against two children would frighten anyone of your age. You will not be punished for defending yourself and your brother. Though I do suggest caution from now on. I will not be able to defend you if this continues to happen."

Nazuna's face relaxed in relief. _The Hokage keeps sticking his neck out for us._ But…if Naruto can't forgive her then she'd prefer to be executed. There would be no survival without her twin. Nazuna's eyes darkened as she kept her gaze on her brother's face. He twitched; his wounds already in the process of becoming fully healed.

Hiruzen departed, leaving the twins to themselves.

Naruto's eyes opened to meet hers. "Nazu-chan?" His voice was a little raspy from the attack.

Nazuna blinked, not knowing what to say. _Do you hate me, Naru-kun?_ Her eyes lowered to the bed sheets. She was afraid of knowing the answer to that question.

"I couldn't hate you, Nazu-chan." Naruto didn't realize that his sister hadn't spoken the question out loud or that she hadn't meant for him to hear it. He gave her a cheeky grin, ignoring the fear he had felt when he witnessed his sister attacking his assailant so viciously. This was Nazuna, the only person that loved him in the world. Nothing she could do would make that change.

Nazuna's stare hardened. Could Naruto read her mind? Was he telepathic? _Can you hear me, Naruto? _

"Of course I can hear you. What kind of question is that?" Naruto still didn't understand that she wasn't actually _speaking_.

The female Uzumaki narrowed her eyes. How was this type of thing even possible? She knew of the Yamanaka's ability to mind-walk along with being able to project their thoughts, but as far as she knew the twins were not Yamanakas. Naruto had been able to hear the thing in her head at the same time she had, which meant the being was connected to each of them internally.

_Naruto, look at me. _Her brother complied, still oblivious to her discovery. If what she suspected was true, this would be a valuable tool in the days to come. _Do you notice anything strange?_

"No –," his words were cut off as he suddenly knew what his sister was talking about. Nazuna's lips weren't moving. "Whoa, Nazu-chan! How are you doing that?"

Nazuna giggled. _You're so slow sometimes, Naru-kun. _Naruto pouted at the insult. _You're hearing my thoughts. _His eyes widened in question to which she merely nodded. _You try it._

_Try what?_ Naruto thought absently while his mind tried to process what she was up to. _This is so cool! I can read Nazu-chan's thoughts!_ His mind wandered as it was wont to do and Nazuna giggled again at the silly face her twin was making.

_I can hear yours, too. _Nazuna pondered the meaning behind this, but pushed it aside in favor of simply enjoying her brother's company. Knowing he didn't hate her or fear her was enough to put the female twin in a good mood.

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Naruto plopped down onto the ground beside his sister, watching her intently as she stared at a blade of grass in her hand. Nazuna had been distant ever since the incident after their ninth birthday, but it had been getting much worse the past few days. It was one thing for her to distance herself from Kiba and Hinata, she had always been the antisocial one, but for her to distance herself from him was something that had never happened. The twins were a unit, a well-oiled machine that worked best when they were together. But lately Nazuna had even been putting up walls around her thoughts, denying him access. He could barely get two words out of her and it really bothered him.

It was incredibly lonely when she was being distant.

"Nazu-chan, what's up with you lately?" Naruto watched the blade of grass seemingly float a few inches above the palm of her hand; a chakra control exercise that had been taught in the Academy a week prior.

Nazuna watched the grass above her hand as she turned it over and over in the air with subtle alterations to the amount of chakra she was using. It had been more difficult for her than the other children to get the hang of managing her chakra properly, but once she had it was something she played with constantly. "Do you think the old man is hiding something from us?"

Naruto seemed appalled. "Old Man Hokage wouldn't do that, right? He does a lot for us, you know!"

The female Uzumaki frowned at the blind trust her brother had in the Hokage. She knew that the shinobi world was riddled with deceit and secrecy, that no one aiming to be a shinobi would be protected from such things. Naruto was still so innocent compared to her and she couldn't bother him with the worries that had been piling up in her mind over the past few weeks. It would only cause him discomfort, which was something she wanted to protect him from for as long as she could.

The fact was the Hokage shouldn't be so keen on helping two orphans that he has no real connection to unless there was something else behind his kindness. Were the twins related to him somehow? Had their parents been important to him? Who were their parents anyway? Nazuna had tried asking when she was younger, but the old man had dodged the questions so flawlessly she had been unable to ask again. What about that red chakra, the being that had unknowingly given the twins the ability to communicate telepathically, and the power she had been given in her moment of rage? Nazuna had never heard of red chakra, only blue and green. There was a reason both her and Naruto could hear the being, a reason it had been able to invade their minds so easily. How were they connected to it?

Naruto was still watching her, waiting for her response. Nazuna repressed her worries for another time, a time when she was alone. There would be no point in making her brother worry. "You're right, Naru-kun. I guess I'm still shaken up from that night." Which was true, in a sense; she hadn't been able to get the image of that man's twisted figure out of her dreams.

Her brother seemed satisfied. "It'll be okay, Nazu-chan! You were only defending me and even the Hokage knows that! Don't worry anymore, okay?"

Nazuna smiled. "Okay, Naruto."

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Iruka glared down at the twins with anger evident in his usually kind eyes. "What do you make of this?" He gestured to the flour all over the room, the result of Naruto Uzumaki's latest prank. The chuunin tried to restrain his anger as best he could, but the poor man had flour in places that it just didn't belong. It was going to be a good day indeed when the male twin didn't target Iruka for some prank that resulted in him having to take multiple showers to cleanse himself fully.

It didn't help that whenever the Academy instructor was close to catching the blond menace in the act, a certain sister of his showed up at _just the right time_ to warn him of their approaching teacher. Nazuna was not one to participate in the process of pranking, but was an excellent guard dog that enjoyed watching the results. Iruka couldn't count how many times both twins, along with the Inuzuka boy and the Nara on occasion, went missing during class only to appear the moment Iruka had set off the newest trap.

The Umino had to admit the boy was talented in the art of pranking and trapping. Naruto could aim for a career in the Infiltration Corps if he'd ever keep his grades up. Iruka couldn't understand how one twin that had so much potential was barely scraping by (he would be even worse off if Nazuna didn't keep him in line) and the other twin that seemed utterly disinterested would be the highest ranking kunoichi in her class if she put in the effort. Nazuna passed the tests, yes, but that was it. At least Naruto _tried._

"It's flour," the young girl said with that matter-of-fact tone she had mastered.

Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can see that, Nazuna." He took a calming breath. "I meant, what is it doing in my classroom?"

Naruto was obviously trying to fight the fit of giggles threatening to burst forth. He just couldn't help it: Iruka was covered head to toe in flour; the entire classroom was no better. The young boy felt exhilarated. It was his best prank yet! Finally, the blond couldn't hold it in anymore. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei, but your face was just so funny! Man, I'm a genius." To add to his delight, Iruka's face began to turn an interesting shade of red.

Nazuna braced herself for the bout of yelling her teacher was bound to let loose on them. Naruto, on the other hand, looked ready to burst again. _Let me guess, when Iruka-sensei walks out of the room there's a bucket of water waiting for him? _

It was spooky how easily his sister could read him and his intentions so easily. _Yep! It sucks that I couldn't get the feathers. _

She smirked a little, much to Iruka's annoyance. _Iruka-sensei is awfully loud today. _The chuunin was still in the process of what he thought to be a thorough scolding, but was flawlessly ignored by the twins as they fled to their minds. _As soon as he turns around we climb out of the window. I'm not sitting through another lecture today. My stomach's growling. _

_You think more about your stomach than I do, Nazu-chan! You think if I warn him ahead of time, he'll take us out for ramen again? _

_Doubt it, but it's worth a – _Nazuna's thought was cut off quickly by the end of Iruka's lecture and the image of him headed straight for the door. _Go!_ The twins were fleeing the classroom with only the sound of a window being opened signaling their retreat. Nazuna and Naruto flinched as Iruka's killing intent bled through the Academy walls and out to the street.

"NAZUNA! NARUTO!" Iruka's loud voice made the ground shake with its intensity. Said twins just shared a laugh before running at full speed in the direction of home.

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Twelve weeks later, Nazuna pulled up the bandages she wore around her neck to cover the identifying whisker marks her brother and she shared. It wasn't the best plan, but if it worked the number of vendors the twins could purchase from would increase substantially. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped into the market with the eyes of one that belonged wherever they went. Putting on an act was something the female Uzumaki excelled at, something that would come in handy in her days as a kunoichi.

It wasn't long before she stood before the cashier with groceries in hand. The elderly woman that usually scorned her existence didn't give her a second glance as she paid for the assorted goods she had chosen nor when she rudely thanked the woman for her hospitality.

The moment Nazuna's feet met the dirt of the road a surge of victory welled up within her so fiercely that she couldn't fight the smile that worked its way to the surface. It had been so easy to fool the woman that usually shooed the twins away with the end of a broom. Nazuna wondered if all the vendors in the marketplace would fall for such a simple disguise. _Probably._ The crafty Uzumaki felt mighty proud of herself as she carried the groceries to the simple apartment Naruto and her shared.

"Did it work!?" Naruto practically jumped out of thin air the second she entered the threshold.

Nazuna gave him that cheeky smile only the lucky were able to see. "Of course it worked. Civilians are idiots." Since it worked so well, Nazuna decided that wearing something to cover up her cheeks would be a permanent fixture of her outfit out in the open.

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Iruka scratched the bridge of his nose as he scanned the potential sparring partners in his class. All the students surrounded him, some fidgeting nervously. Naruto was almost trembling with anticipation; the blond was looking forward to another spar against his 'rival', Sasuke. "Ino Yamanaka," he began. The little blond girl jumped at the chance to impress her dear 'Sasuke-kun', practically skipping to the center of the area as she left the group of girls behind. "And Nazuna Uzumaki."

Said girl scowled deeply. She hated being chosen for this type of thing, especially against girls such as Ino. "No," she stated blandly.

Iruka sighed. He knew she'd be difficult. "Nazuna, there's not a choice in the matter. You need to get accustomed to fighting people with different styles. If you want to graduate you need to start participating." And he was getting his own taste of revenge for the constant hell the twins put him through by making the lazy one participate in class activities.

"Scared to fight me, Nazuna?" Ino smirked victoriously at the disinterested Uzumaki. "I would be, too, if I were you." She flipped her hair dramatically, letting her pride shine through brightly. Riling up Nazuna was always fun, if only to get some form of reaction out of her.

The Yamanaka's attempt at insulting her didn't bother her in the slightest; Nazuna was never one to give in to those types of challenges. The same could not be said for her brother, however. "Nazu-chan, don't let her talk to you like that! You can kick her ass!" Naruto gestured for her to go forward, but the girl stood her ground firmly.

"If I win, you have to give me the last pork ramen." Pork ramen was her favorite and the only thing she wouldn't hand over to her brother without a fight. The last cup of it was a true prize. If Naruto made her participate in class, she'd be sure to get something worthwhile out of it. Watching him closely, she observed his face shift in an internal debate. _Is it worth it, Naru-kun?_

Naruto nodded, which led to her standing in front of the blond girl with the most bored expression she could muster. Iruka thought she would yawn at any moment. Well, at least she was participating…even if her twin had to coax her into it.

"Like you could win," Ino said loudly. "You haven't sparred with anyone all year! I, on the other hand, am the top ranking kunoichi of our class!"

Nazuna was unimpressed.

Iruka sighed before signaling the two to begin. Ino was far too cocky in her abilities and far too excited about proving her worth to Sasuke Uchiha, the boy that really didn't give a damn. Her moves were exaggerated and flashy, allowing Nazuna to slip under her defenses easily. The young Uzumaki was faster than the Yamanaka by leaps and bounds, something no one in the class besides her small group of friends knew. "You leave too many openings," Nazuna provided as she slammed a fist into the blonde's side. Ino yelped as the fist made her ribs shake. The female Uzumaki slipped behind her, kicking out her opponent's knees with a single swipe. "Don't allow your enemy to get behind you."

Their sensei watched with calculating eyes. While Nazuna was in the lead, she didn't brag about it like a certain Yamanaka would, but was giving her opponent instructions on what she was doing wrong. _I guess she actually was paying attention in class,_ he thought with a smirk.

Ino fell to ground on her knees, her arms clutching her stomach. Iruka nodded before announcing the spar finished with Nazuna being the winner. The young girl went to Ino's side, holding out a hand in a rare show of kindness. "A kunoichi's true power lies in the ability to make her opponents believe she is weak. Underestimating the enemy can easily lead to one's downfall." Nazuna pulled her up without any expression of victory or of gloating. "If you would get your mind off of the Uchiha, you'd make a better sparring partner." When the blond was back on her feet, the Uzumaki left Ino to rejoin her brother on the sidelines.

"That was so cool, Nazu-chan!" Naruto thrust a fist into the air with enthusiasm.

Kiba nodded vigorously, sharing in Naruto's excitement. "Yeah, Nazuna-chan, I knew you had it in you!"

"This means Iruka-sensei will begin to expect more from you," Hinata added shyly. While not the most outgoing child, the heiress had stopped the infuriating stuttering during her friendship with the twins and Kiba. It had taken a lot of prodding from a certain redhead, but Hinata's self-esteem was also in the process of being repaired. The wonders of making friends…

Nazuna sighed without giving an actual response. It looked like she couldn't just sit back and relax during class anymore or else Iruka would never cease his nagging. "Naruto-kun, you have to make that ramen for me yourself and serve it to me while referring to me with the title 'master' or else I'll just lose on purpose next time."

"Yeah, yeah," her brother waved her demands off as he usually did.

Iruka had learned something that day: Nazuna had been holding back the whole time she had been enrolled in the Academy. She refused to try simply because she didn't want to, not because she didn't understand the material. While not up to 'prodigy' standards, the young girl would become a deadly kunoichi if she ever became motivated enough to do so. He knew the same potential rested within her brother, who tried his hardest but simply needed some extra help along the way. _The Uzumaki twins will become a force to reckon with in the future._

It was in that moment that he decided that he would help the twins to pull out their full potential.

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[Author's Note]: You have no idea how long it took me to fully come up with Nazuna's character. Finally after months of thinking it over, she blossomed. Nazuna is kind of my baby. I put _a lot_ of thought into this whole story and before you hound me on inaccuracies and all that, just know that I have my reasons.

I wasn't sure if Akamaru actually attended the Academy with Kiba, but for the sake of this story he does.

About the whole telepathic thing...I know it's a little far-fetched, but it's Naruto. Come on, almost _anything _is possible in Naruto. I just took the myth of 'twin telepathy' and made it literal. Sue me.

Don't worry about Nazuna being all powerful, because she's really not. The only reason she was able to break a (civilian) man's wrist is because of her Academy training and she was able to brutalize the other man because of the fox's chakra (not by any strength of her own). Againt an actual shinobi she wouldn't stand a chance (yet). Ino losing to her in a friendly classroom-spar was needed to show Iruka that Nazuna may not look like it, but she takes his lessons to heart.

So... Yeah. I'm probably not going to post the rest. If it was horrible you don't have to worry about seeing any more of it, but if you actually liked it let me know. Kind words are always welcome.

Fun Fact: Nazuna really likes the color pink, but wouldn't be caught dead in it.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1

[Author's Note]: Well, I decided to post the first real chapter. I'm not sure if it's up to par with the prologue, but I hope you like it.

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**Chapter One - Graduation **

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Hinata held a bag close to her chest as she headed back to the Hyuuga compound after a day of shopping. Catching a flash of yellow in her peripheral, she spun on her heels to peer into the store she had just passed. There Naruto stood in front of a display with his finger pressed to his lips in concentration. Deciding a few more minutes from home couldn't hurt anything, she entered the shop to say hello. "Hello, Naruto-kun," she greeted shyly.

Naruto's head shot straight up, meeting her pale eyes with a grin. "Hinata-chan!" He was preparing to pounce on her for a hug, which would have made her blush profusely, but stopped at noticing the bag in her hands. "Did you just go shopping?"

Hinata nodded, and then watched her only female friend walk towards them from the stand over. "Hello, Nazuna-san," she lowered her gaze, still nervous being around the older Uzumaki.

Nazuna nodded in acknowledgement, the bandages covering her face hiding the small lift of her lips, but the Hyuuga eyes could tell.

Naruto frowned. "What have I told you, Hinata-chan? You can use 'chan' when talking to Nazu-chan; she won't mind!"

Hinata fumbled for a response, not enjoying being put on the spot.

"I don't mind," Nazuna said calmly. Kiba Inuzuka, the other member of their small group of friends, had begun using 'chan' with her name the day they met. It never bothered her, she had heard a lot worse in her lifetime.

Hinata gaped, her cheeks turning pink. "B-But," she stammered. As soon as the stutter was out of her mouth she cursed herself. The Hyuuga had done such a good job of eliminating that accursed stutter, especially in front of the very person who hated it the most!

Her protests were silenced with a dismissive wave from Nazuna's small hand. "We're friends." That was all the explanation she would get from the calm girl and it was all the explanation she needed.

"Okay, Nazuna-chan." Hinata was proud that she didn't stutter when using the new suffix. "Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Yeah! I have this _awesome_ idea for a new prank and I need paint!" Naruto grinned at her, the finer details of his prank being formulated in his mind. "Ne, Hinata-chan, which color do you think will stand out on stone the most? It needs to be seen from miles away!"

Hinata paused, wondering what her friend had in mind. "White or any bright color."

"I told you," Nazuna added absently.

The young boy nodded thoughtfully. "Okay! This is going to be perfect, dattebayo!"

"Make sure it can be washed away with water," Nazuna put in with a pointed finger aimed at the group of paints with the word 'washable' in big letters.

Naruto frowned, his eyes squinting closed slightly. "Why would I want to wash it? It has to stay there so everyone can see it!"

_A shinobi must always be prepared_. "If you are caught, they will force you to clean the paint off. Would you rather wash off paint untouchable by water?"

Her brother shook his head. "Washable paint it is!"

Hinata looked from one twin to the next, feeling like she missed something. Shaking her head slightly in amusement, Hinata bid farewell to her friends while wishing Naruto good luck on his prank. "Bye, Hinata-chan!" Naruto waved at her with his grin back in place.

"See you," Nazuna said as she gestured farewell with a tilt of her head.

She smiled at them, ever grateful for her friendship with the Uzumaki twins. It had affected her in so many good ways. It was a wonderful bonus that she could now approach her crush and dear friend without hesitation.

Naruto carried all of the paint he bought back to their apartment with a scowl. "Why can't you carry some, Nazu-chan? This is heavy!"

"Consider it training, Naru-kun. The future Hokage should be able to carry a few cans of paint without trouble." Nazuna placed another chip in her mouth, chewing it with a playful smirk. It was so fun to tease her brother, a pastime she had developed over the years. Iruka telling Naruto about how important the Hokage is – while simultaneously making her brother's new dream blossom – had given her the perfect material to use whenever she simply felt too lazy to do something her brother wanted, such as carrying the paint cans.

Naruto thought about it for a moment before holding his head high, determined to walk the rest of the way without a single complaint.

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The next day, Nazuna was shielding her eyes as her gaze stayed focused on her dangling brother as he painted crudely on the faces of the Hokage carved into the mountainside. It was his biggest prank yet, one that would catch the attention of every citizen that let their eyes travel up to their honored leaders of past and present. She had to admit her brother was creative in his prank ideas. The twelve year old would never admit that his pranks could be offensive, because in her eyes the pranks he pulled were ingenious.

_It's too bright out._ She scowled as the sun continued to assault her eyes, something she didn't appreciate.

Her blue eyes observed the Fourth Hokage's face that was currently being scribbled on with bright orange paint. She had tried to deter him from using a color that could so easily be tracked back to him – orange was his trademark color, a color few wore so proudly – but her brother would have none of it. There were some battles she just didn't bother winning.

Nazuna absently wondered who was in charge of carving the stone of the Hokage Monument. She felt like the Fourth's needed a little work, but who was she to judge? The Uzumaki had never met the man.

"Grow up!"

"That brat has no respect!"

Similar statements made their way to Nazuna's sharp ears along with her brother's loud responses. She scowled at each of the civilians as best she could from the viewing deck on the roof of the Academy, but it had little effect on the villagers. They were all idiots that could go to hell in her opinion. It would serve them right for shunning the twins for their entire lives. Her eyes caught sight of her approaching teacher, Iruka, and the girl immediately spun to warn Naruto of their impending doom.

A hand was clapped over her mouth before she could begin to shout out her warning. Iruka frowned down at her as she struggled against his hold. "Oh no, I'm not letting you warn him this time, Nazuna." Iruka fought the urge to grin in victory as she met his eyes with utter defiance. He had finally caught them before Naruto could be warned. The chuunin felt proud about this, much more so than was fitting for a man of his status.

Nazuna knew any warning via mind would not reach all the way to where her brother dangled – the telepathy had a limit –, so she simply just let whatever was going to happen take its course. She didn't stand a chance against her teacher; she wasn't even a genin yet. The young girl glared up at him mildly, restating her claim that some battles just weren't worth it.

It wasn't five seconds later that the Third Hokage parted the crowd that had gathered on the viewing deck, walking toward the duo with purpose. A chuunin had come to his office to alert the old man of the graffiti the youngest Uzumaki was vandalizing the monument with only minutes prior. While some of Naruto's pranks were rather amusing, this one took things a bit too far. It didn't help that his older twin, someone who _should_ be reprimanding her sibling for such acts, only stood by with support.

He approached Iruka with a slight frown. The paintings over his own carved face were anything but flattering. "Iruka," he nodded toward the young chuunin that had pulled a few pranks of his own during his youth. His tired eyes lowered to the student in Iruka's grasp with the man's hand still firmly over her mouth. "Nazuna, it's nice to see you."

If she could have said something, she wouldn't have. Her eyes lowered into a bored expression, not giving the Hokage the time of day. The Third and she were not on the same friendly terms he shared with her brother. While Naruto respected the man blindly, especially after cementing his newfound dream of taking the man's job, Nazuna knew the man was hiding something big from the twins; something they truly deserved to know. Since that night the first contact was made with the creature connected to the twins, Nazuna had only acknowledged the Hokage with cold indifference.

"I can't apologize enough for this, Hokage-sama." Iruka bowed his head in shame at not being able to control his students. With Hiruzen's nod of acknowledgment, the chuunin prepared himself for the loudest lecturing voice he had. "NARUTO UZUMAKI, JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?" His voice echoed up to the young boy's ears, making Naruto flinch. He turned in the air, looking down to where the voice of his teacher had come from. Iruka glared up at him with Nazuna looking at him apologetically. No wonder he hadn't known his teacher was coming; Iruka had captured Nazuna before she could warn him.

Naruto was – to put it frankly – screwed. "GET DOWN HERE AND GET BACK TO CLASS, YOU IDIOT!"

Nazuna replaced her blank stare with a hard glare, not appreciating the way Iruka addressed her brother. A cold chill ran down his spine, making him connect eyes with the preteen in his hold. Her eyes seemed to burn into his soul. Iruka shivered involuntarily. Those blue eyes of hers seemed to hold more years in them than she had been alive. It was eerie to look into orbs much too old for the body that held them.

"The final exam is tomorrow and instead of preparing, you two skip class to pull a prank." Nazuna gave him a look. "You are just as involved in this as Naruto, Nazuna. Therefore you _both_ are in big trouble." Iruka led the twins back down to his classroom with a frown. The class full of students erupted into quiet snickers as the trio made their way through the door. Naruto's face immediately fell in anger and humiliation while his sister just settled for letting her eyebrows draw together in irritation. "You choose now, the day before graduation, to pull this stunt? You two really are morons. If you have any hope of graduating with your class, you better shape up quickly. The world of shinobi does not tolerate idiocy."

The snickers increased tenfold. Nazuna shot the class a sharp glare, silencing a few of them. Kiba growled along with Akamaru. "Shut up, will ya! Like none of you have gotten a good kick out of watching Iruka-sensei get pranked!"

"Alright, all of you settle down. Today we will be reviewing the art of transformation." Loud grumbles met his ears in waves. Iruka smirked at his depressed students. "Since the Uzumaki twins decided to skip the previous lecture, you will all be demonstrating what you have been learning these past three months. All you have to do is make yourselves look like me. Line up," he ended with his 'teacher' voice on.

Nazuna and Naruto stalked to the back of the line behind Hinata, not missing the irritated glares coming from the other students. Each seemed to pass as the line kept moving forward quickly. Hinata gave her friends a smile before taking her turn, transforming into an exact copy of Iruka. "Nazuna, you're next." Said girl stepped in front of her teacher with a bored expression reigning over her irritation.

With the image of her teacher clear in her mind, Nazuna formed the necessary hand seals slower than the rest of the class. It seemed the girl was determined to take her sweet time in completing the task at hand. Even Shikamaru, the boy known for his laziness, moved at a faster rate. Finally a puff of smoke hid the image of a twelve year old girl to later reveal a clear representation of the chuunin teaching the class. Iruka appraised her work with a raised eyebrow; she had even nailed the stain at the top left corner of his flak jacket from his last visit to Ichiraku's. "Very good, next!"

_The moment of truth_, Iruka thought with a small frown. "Naruto, get over here." The orange-clad boy tried his best to hide his evil smirk, but was doing a poor job. Iruka eyed the boy cautiously, sparing the boy one final warning. "Take this seriously, Naruto. If Nazuna can pass this so can you." It would be a beautiful thing if both twins could actually pass an exam without any problems.

Nazuna hid her scowl as she turned her back. She hated when Iruka held her accomplishments over her brother's head.

Naruto nodded once, giving his sister a final glance as she made her way back to her seat. Forming the seals for transformation, he smiled as the smoke billowed around him. Hidden from view for a moment the young boy turned into a match of his teacher. Iruka actually smiled when he was face to face with his own reflection. "Very good, Naru-," his words were cut off sharply as the image before him shifted into a form that made Iruka's jaw drop.

Naruto, or Naruko as he liked to call this form, smiled at his teacher cheekily. Donning the appearance of a tall blond vixen with pigtails in her hair, he blew Iruka a kiss in the most seductive way he could imagine. The class erupted into laughter as the chuunin shot backward with blood dripping out of both nostrils. The Uzumaki changed back to his original shape, doubling over with barks of laughter making his ribcage hurt.

Nazuna let a small approving smirk lift her unseen lips. Iruka had deserved it for the way he had criticized Naruto so ignorantly. The man couldn't see the brilliance or reasons behind her brother's antics, the underlying need for attention resting under each prank he pulled. Naruto liked Iruka, respected him, which is why the chuunin was almost always the victim of her twin's plots. He wanted their teacher's acknowledgement above all others, even if it just meant Iruka was yelling at him.

It didn't matter if the village saw him as a prankster; at least he was being _seen_. That was something Iruka couldn't understand.

There was a loud 'thump' as Kiba fell out of his seat, clutching his sides as he watched Iruka's nose spurt more blood than he thought healthy. His friend was simply an evil genius.

Hinata covered her mouth demurely to hide her fit of giggles – she had to keep up appearances after all.

Iruka was not pleased if the red tint of rage covering his face was anything to go by. "How moronic can you be!? You waste all of your talent on these stupid tricks!" The chuunin practically had steam rising from his heated face, the embarrassment and rage affecting him greatly. What had he ever done to deserve this?

Naruto's face of victory slowly faded into one of annoyance as his teacher once again insulted his intelligence. Dragging his feet back to his seat beside Nazuna and Kiba, the blond kept his head down as Iruka's loud voice followed him with each step. He huffed as he sat down, his shoulders slumping pathetically.

Nazuna nudged his shoulder, using one finger to poke him on the side of the head gently. _If I was the teacher, I'd give you credit for coming up with your own technique. It was incredibly effective._

_I know, Nazu-chan._

Now calmed down, Iruka wiped a hand over his face as the blush began to fade. He would be happy when the twins graduated. No one had told him that the first class he was assigned would turn out to be one that was already making him consider retirement. It was too soon to be sprouting gray hairs, but the Umino was almost positive that he had a few hiding in his ponytail. "Tomorrow's final exam will require you to make three clones. I expect there to be no trouble," with this he looked directly at the Uzumakis of his class.

Nazuna met his gaze, but was torn away by Naruto's gasp. Her brother was looking at Iruka like he had just assigned them to kill a puppy – which, if that was the case Nazuna would never agree to it even if her life depended on it.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Kiba peeked at the blond curiously from his seat beside Nazuna. Akamaru whimpered in agreement to his question.

Naruto ignored Kiba, too focused on what his teacher had just said. It was as if Iruka was set on not letting the Uzumaki graduate. Creating clones was one of the many things Naruto had a hard time with, one of the techniques he just couldn't get the hang of. Even with his sister's help it was near impossible to create an image that looked remotely like him, not to mention trying to hold it for more than a few seconds.

Slamming his head onto the desk, Naruto groaned dramatically. _I'm doomed._

_You'll be fine, Naru-kun. We'll come up with something. _Nazuna ruffled his hair lovingly, trying to get him out of his slump. If one thing bothered her, it was Naruto being upset over something.

But even her words of encouragement were ignored as Naruto fell deeper into his depression. It wasn't just the fact that failing the final exam would put a major halt to his dream of becoming Hokage, that he would have to wait another year or so to graduate, but it was also the fact that if he failed then his sister and his friends would move on without him. Nazuna was a bloody genius compared to him and would be able to pass easily. She had tried to explain to him that they had to handle their chakra differently than everyone else, but it had made no sense to him. While she could adjust properly, he couldn't.

They had been together in everything, but if he couldn't pass the final exam she would become a shinobi before him. While she would be doing super cool missions, he would be stuck in school without her, Kiba, and Hinata to keep him sane. He would be alone.

_Hokage never give up, _Nazuna thought firmly as she watched her brother sigh throughout the rest of class. Naruto lifted his head from the desk with his brows furrowed. She gave him a nod, trying to get him to understand that her words were true. _If Hokage gave up, Konoha would not be what it is today. _At this, Naruto's blue eyes began to shine with a determination she had become familiar with in the past years. He came back to life as the final minutes of class passed, the gloomy aura around him dissipating.

Hinata and Kiba followed behind them as class was dismissed with Akamaru barking happily within Nazuna's arms. The Inuzuka had gotten used to the female Uzumaki taking control of his ninken, no longer throwing a fit when the pup was plucked from his head by her small hands. Now he merely resorted to grumbling under his breath about how if she wanted a dog so damn bad, she should get her own instead of stealing his. His grumbles were always ignored, unsurprisingly, by the girl in question.

Sasuke Uchiha passed them wordlessly, followed as always by a group of girls from their class. He brushed past Naruto, accidently shoving his shoulder a bit. The blonde's face split into an angry frown, his raspy voice interrupting the chatter going on around him. "Watch where you're going, asshole!"

The Uchiha turned his head, scoffing at the Uzumaki. It wasn't as if he cared whether or not he pushed Naruto, he had more important things on his mind; like getting home without being followed.

"Yeah, watch it!" Kiba shouted after Sasuke as he left the vicinity without a word at all. The Inuzuka frowned. "That guy really pisses me off."

"Are you jealous because he has fangirls and you don't, Kiba?" Nazuna brushed her hand gently behind Akamaru's ear, her eyes not leaving the pup's white fur. If it weren't for the fact Kiba knew Hinata would never say something like that and the voice was too feminine to be Naruto, he would have doubted that she had said anything at all.

Spluttering unintelligibly, it took him a few tries to say anything coherently. Naruto was laughing heartily beside her, thoroughly enjoying his sister's teasing. Kiba turned his head to Hinata who was once again hiding her mirth behind her hand. Feeling betrayed, he returned to grumbling under his breath. "I am not jealous; he's just too stuck up for his own good."

"Suuure, Kiba," Naruto said with a cheeky grin.

Kiba frowned, not appreciating being at the wrong end of the joke. He turned his head, refusing to look at the small group. As the intersection they always split at came up, his gaze slid over to Nazuna who was casually scratching Akamaru's back as the pup's tongue hung out of his mouth shamelessly. Remembering the plan for today and the pep talk he had given himself in the bathroom mirror, Kiba opened his mouth, momentarily forgetting about her teasing. "Hey, Nazuna-chan, I was wondering if –," the rest of his question got stuck in his throat as a brown ponytail-bearing chuunin walked up behind the twins.

"Where do you think you two are going?" Iruka grabbed hold of the back of Naruto's collar with one hand while the other latched onto Nazuna's sleeveless shirt. The twins both looked up simultaneously, blue eyes latching onto his in shock and annoyance.

"Home," Nazuna stated simply. Iruka's grip wasn't very gentle; their teacher knew very well that if his grip was loose the two would run away. The form-fitting collar of her shirt was digging unpleasantly into the skin of her neck.

Kiba and Hinata stood by silently, not sure what to do about what was happening. They wanted to help their friends, but it was their teacher they were going to be up against. Giving each other a look that said it all, they left their friends to their fate with only a wave signaling their retreat. Hinata at least had the decency to look upset about abandoning them; Kiba was only muttering curses under his breath for being interrupted. Akamaru hopped out of Nazuna's arms to run after his master. "Traitors," Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"You two have paint to clean up," Iruka said as he began dragging the twins towards the Hokage monument, fighting hard with the male twin that was wriggling in his grasp.

Naruto looked at Nazuna who had simply accepted her punishment; his sister just let Iruka drag her without fighting back. He couldn't stop from noticing her eyes widening slightly as they began to climb the stairs leading to the top of the mountain, the very stairs she had refused to walk up that morning. _Are you okay, Nazu-chan?_

_I'm fine._ The way she responded was not convincing; it was tight, strained like she was trying hard not to lose her calm. The female Uzumaki was _not_ okay, but it would be her death before she ever admitted it; especially so when her twin was watching.

"Why does Nazu-chan have to clean up paint, too, Iruka-sensei? She didn't do anything! Let her go!" Naruto struggled harder, forcing Iruka to pay attention to him.

Iruka gave them a strained smile. "You _both_ skipped class, you _both _get punishment. There's no arguing about this matter."

Nazuna took several steadying breaths as the distance from the ground and them increased, making her heartbeat speed up with each step they climbed. She tried very hard to keep her gaze on the mountaintop, anywhere besides down, but her eyes weren't listening to her mind and soon she was looking at the top of the Academy that looked _very_ far down.

Iruka and Naruto's voices began to fade into the unknown as they reached the top of the monument and her teacher directed them to two harnesses set up for them. Nazuna swallowed as she stared down, wanting very much to be back on the ground. Someone shook her out of her reveries, making her look up into the face of the Umino that was now eyeing her with concern in his kind eyes.

"Nazuna, are you okay?" She didn't respond, but her silence was enough of an answer. Iruka watched as her eyes darted between him, Naruto, and the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed to be tensed up, prepared for something only she knew. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the female Uzumaki was incredibly uncomfortable, maybe even – dare he say it – _frightened_.

Naruto watched his sister nervously, hoping she would be alright up this high. His sister's face was paler than he had ever seen it, all the color in her body fading into a sickly white. He thought she was going to be sick at any moment.

Iruka put his hand over his mouth as if he had just heard something scandalous. "Nazuna, are you…are you afraid of heights?"

Her eyes narrowed into slits, the bandages over her mouth making it obvious she was sporting a scowl. "No," Nazuna spat out. It wasn't a _fear_ of heights; it was an apprehension to being far away from the ground. A fear was a weakness and Iruka implying that she had said weakness was ridiculous. What shinobi liked being away from solid ground? High terrain was unfavorable in a fight and her instincts were just taking over.

"Then getting into this harness and dangling from the mountain with nothing but a few ropes keeping you from falling several feet shouldn't be a problem, right?" Iruka watched as the scenario played out in her head, her scowl turning into a grimace immediately. _So this is why she was on the Academy roof instead of up here with Naruto. _

Naruto bristled. "Don't be mean to Nazu-chan!"

"I'll be fine, Naruto-kun." Nazuna swallowed the anxiety, putting on a strong face as she made her way to the harness, strapping herself in very securely with shaky hands. She wouldn't leave Naruto to do this alone and she wouldn't give Iruka something to hold over her head.

Iruka went over to help her, bending down to make sure everything was tight enough. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has fears and you're no different," he whispered to her so Naruto wouldn't hear.

Naruto was strapped in next with the same care as Nazuna because the only thing worse than falling to her death was Naruto falling to his. Iruka maneuvered him down first, giving Nazuna a little more time to mentally prepare herself. The boy immediately began cleaning off the paint so they could go home sooner.

Nazuna gripped the rag in her hand tighter as Iruka began lowering her down as well. She looked into his eyes warily. "You won't let me fall, right, Iruka-sensei?" It was pathetic how weak she sounded.

Iruka paused, not used to hearing Nazuna so unsure of something. When the girl spoke, she spoke firmly without a single waver in her speech. To hear her being so vulnerable made him take a mental step back and reassess everything he knew about the young preteen. "I swear you won't fall, Nazuna." At her nod, he lowered her down next to Naruto.

The two spent hours on that mountain cleaning up every single drop of paint that the male twin had placed on the stone. Nazuna wiped the sweat off of her brow, wanting nothing more than to be back home with her pillow. It had been awhile since the last wave of rising panic had faded, but she didn't feel any safer as her feet dangled in the air. Iruka kept up the encouraging words – along with a few prods to keep going – as they continued. She had to hand it to the Umino, he did look guilty for making her face her not-a-fear of heights.

That didn't help her any at the moment, though.

Iruka watched from above as the twins washed the paint, almost surprised that it was coming off so easily. Shaking his head in amusement, he realized that Naruto must have used washable paint. The chuunin had to give him credit for being prepared. "Hey, Naruto, Nazuna," he said to get their attention. Two pairs of blue eyes met his brown ones, neither one stopping their task at hand. "What do you say after this we pay a visit to Ichiraku's?"

Naruto cheered, a fist was thrust into the air. "That's what I call motivation, Iruka-sensei!" He scrubbed furiously after that, not once stopping to complain. Nazuna blinked, apparently not caring either way. But Iruka noticed that while not working at the same pace as Naruto, her scrubbing wasn't nearly as slow as it had been.

Finally out of that harness, Nazuna practically ran down the stairs back to solid ground. Iruka and Naruto watched as her figure disappeared, both being left behind by the girl that was usually so laidback about everything.

Naruto jumped the last three steps, landing steadily on the grass with a huff of accomplishment. His sister stood beside the stone staircase, looking at him with her arms crossed over her chest. The color was back in her face and she didn't look as fidgety, which showed that she was fine as long as she never had to climb that mountain again. Naruto tackled her to the ground in a hug, squeezing the life out of her in apology for making her face her fear. _I'm sorry, Nazu-chan! _

Nazuna hugged him back, chuckling almost silently. _Naru-kun, I can't breathe._ Her twin released her, helping her up as he stood. The twins followed Iruka through the busy streets of Konoha, weaving past the villagers that muttered insults under their breath. Their keen ears picked up every curse, every demeaning comment. Nazuna kept her eyes forward, her hand tightening in her brother's to the point it was cutting off circulation. Iruka did a good job of ignoring them, but when one civilian got a little too close to them he gave the woman a sharp glare the twins had never seen. It was in that moment that Nazuna began to think that maybe her teacher wasn't like the rest, maybe he didn't hate them, too.

Ichiraku's stood on the side of the road like a beacon to a good meal, making Naruto's mouth practically water at the sight of its banner. He plopped into the stool beside Iruka with Nazuna taking the one beside him. The old man, Teuchi, approached the trio with a kindly grin. The man was one of the very few that was amiable towards the twins, something they both appreciated. "Ah, Iruka, Naruto, Nazuna, what can I get you?"

"Give me three of the special of the day, old man! Iruka-sensei's paying!" Naruto gave the ramen chef a cheeky grin before turning to his teacher. Iruka's face began to pale as he thought about how much of a dent the two Uzumakis were going to put in his wallet. No one could out-eat an Uzumaki when it came to their favorite food, not even an Akimichi.

Nazuna opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the raising of Teuchi's hand. "Don't tell me, Nazuna. _Tonkotsu _ramen, extra black pepper, plenty of _kakuni_, and make sure to add the fishcakes." It was the same order she had made every single time they had visited Ichiraku's since Iruka had first brought them years before and Teuchi had it memorized to the letter. Unlike her brother, the girl never once changed her order.

The female Uzumaki blinked, nodding twice in agreement. "Two bowls of that and a plate of _onigiri_."

Iruka ordered his next and Teuchi left to fill their orders before Naruto's grumbling stomach could become too fierce. "Why did you have to pick that spot, Naruto? You do remember what I told you about Hokage-sama, right?" The chuunin stared down at the blond with exasperation.

Teuchi placed a bowl in front of each of them, making sure to supply Nazuna with her plate of _onigiri_ as well. "Of course I remember, Iruka-sensei! He inherited the Hokage name because he was the strongest shinobi in the village, right? All Hokage have to be the strongest Konoha has to offer; like the Yondaime, who saved the village by slaying the Kyuubi." Naruto slurped up some noodles, relishing the taste of real ramen – not that the instant stuff he was used to was bad, but it was nice to have Teuchi's ramen again.

Nazuna's chopsticks shook at the word "Kyuubi". How long ago had it been that the demon fox had destroyed part of Konoha?

"Then why did you vandalize their faces!?"

Naruto swallowed the ramen in his mouth, giving Iruka a dubious look. "The villagers should get a good look at me now, because one of these days they're going to be calling _me_ Hokage. It won't be long before I surpass every shinobi before me." He proclaimed this with the utmost confidence, sure that his dream would come true. _Then they will all show me respect, right, Nazu-chan?_

Nazuna didn't respond, plucking a rice ball from its plate to place in her mouth. Her mind was still on the Kyuubi. Something didn't feel right about it; had the Yondaime really slain the demon? Was it really possible to slay a tailed beast? She realized then that even though the tale of the Kyuubi was well-known throughout the village, she knew very little about the actual attack or the beast itself. The things she knew about it were simple things every child was taught, but the others she had learned had only been mentioned in passing…and only when the twins walked by. It seemed no one was willing to discuss the finer details of the attack to their faces, but were more than willing to mention it as they passed. "Demon," was a term used by many in reference to them, a term shouted at her when she had given in to that dark voice in her mind three years prior.

The rice ball in her mouth suddenly tasted sour.

Why would the villagers call them demons when they had seen a _real_ one? Surely two children didn't have the same qualities as a demon of that magnitude. Whatever crime they had somehow committed before their birth should have been incomparable to a real demon destroying half the village…right? But that was another part of the mystery. What had they done to deserve so much hatred? Had they done _anything_? As far as she could understand, no, they hadn't. It was reasonable to believe their parents had been criminals of some kind, that their deeds had passed down to their children.

But that couldn't be right, because why would the Hokage watch over criminals' offspring? Unless his kindness was a trick, a lie to watch over them and make sure they didn't become criminals as well. But would he give them an apartment if that was the case? He could have let them be homeless, unless he thought that would give them more reason to become villainous.

Nazuna swirled her chopsticks within the ramen soup, picking out the fishcakes and pieces of pork, but not actually eating any of the noodles. She gently swatted Naruto's hand when he reached for one of her rice balls, not appreciating him trying to take her food when he still had another bowl on the way.

Naruto pulled his hand back, looking greatly wounded as he did so.

The Kyuubi was always brought up around them, but not to them. The same kind of technique was used in the Academy when one person did something wrong, the rest of the children would talk about it behind their backs but not mention it to the person's face. It was as if the villagers were subtly suggesting it was _their_ fault that the demon fox had rampaged over the village. That couldn't be possible, that had been twelve years ago, right before they were even born!

Had their parents caused the attack somehow? It would take a strong shinobi indeed to accomplish that, but something still didn't fit.

Nazuna finished her first bowl as the second was placed in front of her. Pinching the bridge of her nose to ease the oncoming headache her thoughts were causing, she watched as Naruto finished his second bowl. Iruka and him were passing comments back and forth, occasionally speaking to Teuchi. She looked back into her bowl with a scowl. There was something missing, something she didn't know, and that _bothered_ her.

Naruto removed his goggles, placing them on the counter beside him. He looked up into Iruka's eyes, putting his hands together pleadingly. "Iruka-sensei, I need a favor."

Iruka lifted his head up, swallowing the rest of the noodles dangling out of his mouth. Giving a wary look to the empty bowl in front of his student, he tried to think about how much money all of this would cost him. "Another bowl of ramen?" he suggested almost fearfully.

Shaking his head, Naruto gave his teacher the same face he gave Nazuna when he really, really, really wanted something. "Can I try on your hitai-ate? Pleeeease, Iruka-sensei?"

Nazuna let her eyes slide over to Iruka, wondering if he would fall for the same trick she always did. It wasn't that she didn't know Naruto was trying to get something out of her, but it wasn't in her to deny him something he obviously wanted so badly – unless it was the last ramen cup, _that_ was worth fighting for.

"No way, this is a sign of adulthood. You don't get to wear one until you graduate."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks childishly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're such a stiff, Iruka-sensei. Fine! I want another bowl of ramen!"

His sister fought back a chuckle as the three finished their meal with Iruka's wallet almost completely empty by the end of it. It was Naruto's revenge for not getting to wear the hitai-ate and Iruka's fault for telling them he would pay. "When you two become genin you can buy your own ramen," he said as he gazed pitifully into his depleted wallet.

"It's more beneficial when you pay, Iruka-sensei."

The chuunin glared at the redheaded Uzumaki. "I never knew you were so cheap, Nazuna."

The oldest Uzumaki merely shrugged in response.

.

Early the next morning, Iruka's class was practically buzzing with excitement. It was the day the young preteens had been waiting for: graduation day. Well, graduation day for most. For Naruto, it was merely the final exam that would separate him from his twin and the only friends he had in the world. _I'm doomed._

Iruka cleared his throat, making the class quiet down before he gave the instructions. "Alright, I told you yesterday about the requirements for this exam. I hope you all practiced before coming to class today." His eyes swept over the classroom while students either smiled, shifted nervously, or outright ignored his gaze. "Wait here until your name is called, then proceed to the room next door where Mizuki and I will be waiting."

Naruto slammed his head onto the desk as Iruka left the room with the first student, groaning in pain as his head began to throb. After Ichiraku's the twins had returned to their apartment and Nazuna had once again tried to help him with his clones, but it was no use. They hadn't been able to spend much time on it before his eyes began to fall closed in exhaustion. He had tried, Nazuna had tried, but he was – as he put it earlier – doomed!

_Relax, Naru-kun. Getting stressed out before your turn will only make it harder to focus._

The male Uzumaki couldn't help it. How could he not worry about it?

"Man, Naruto. You look horrible." Kiba watched another student walk out of the classroom to complete the exam. His name would be called soon and the Inuzuka knew he would be able to pass; his mother would kill him mercilessly if he didn't.

Naruto gave the dog boy a glare. "Not helping, Kiba."

Hinata shifted nervously, not used to seeing Naruto so down about something. "Naruto-kun, if you're worried about the exam I'm sure it will be fine."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," he said quietly with a small, grateful smile. Naruto was dense, yes, but he wasn't dense enough to not know that if he rejected Hinata's attempt at cheering him up that she would be heartbroken for days. The last thing he wanted to make the Hyuuga feel bad.

_I won't leave you here alone. _Nazuna was very aware that her brother might not graduate. There was no way she would ever agree that it was his lack of skill or his fault, because it wasn't his fault they had to manage their chakra differently than everyone else. It had taken Nazuna three weeks to figure out how to distribute the right amount of chakra to a technique. For some reason she had the tendency, as Naruto did, to add too much chakra for the littlest things without even being aware of it. It was just something she did unconsciously, but had finally trained her body to manage.

Naruto's head shot up. _You're not going to fail on purpose, are you? _Nazuna's blue eyes met his, blinked, and blinked again. The tone of his thought wasn't happy or relieved like she had thought it would be, but angry. It was a tone her brother had never used with her and she found herself unable to respond. _What are you thinking!? Don't you dare hold back because of me!_

His sister was smart, surprisingly so considering her lack of motivation, and if she failed for his sake he would never forgive himself. Sure, he might be alone, but at least his sister would be moving on and fulfilling her own dreams.

_But Naru-kun…_

_No! Promise me, Nazu-chan. Promise me that you will pass the final exam like you're supposed to and become a kickass kunoichi. _Nazuna gave him a look, her blue eyes shifting awkwardly. _I'll graduate next year and still become Hokage, dattebayo! _

Nazuna sent him a piercing stare, attempting to peer right into his soul. Didn't he understand that she couldn't move on without him? Her brother scowled, the deepness of his frown showing how serious he was about this. Was failing worth the risk of having Naruto mad at her? _I promise. _

"Nazuna Uzumaki!" The elder twin gave her brother another glance before exiting the classroom with her chin up. If this was what Naruto wanted, then so be it.

Mizuki, another chuunin at the Academy, and Iruka sat in front of a long blackboard. The Umino glanced up from his list of students, offering Nazuna a small smile. In truth, his day had finally come. The twins would be graduating and the days of itching powder would be behind him. He fully planned on celebrating with a few cups of sake before the night was through.

"Alright, Nazuna, you know what to do." Mizuki said calmly.

The Uzumaki blinked, taking in every detail of the classroom as her teachers waited. Iruka cleared his throat again as a signal to get it over with, but she simply 'hmm'ed quietly. "What was the assignment again?"

Iruka closed his eyes. "Three clones, now."

"Patience is a virtue, Iruka-sensei." Nazuna ignored the sharp glare he chose to send her way. Going through the seals quickly, she took a breath as three images matching her own materialized into the room. It wasn't a very useful technique in her opinion; the clones were nothing but mere illusions, anyone with a good eye could see through it. She would prefer something more solid.

Both Mizuki and Iruka nodded their heads, acknowledging her success at passing the final exam. Reaching onto the desk in front of him, the Umino snatched up a new hitai-ate for his latest graduate. He smiled warmly as she approached to retrieve it. Nazuna was as irritating as her brother, but she had found a place in his good graces nonetheless. How she managed to pass without once putting a pen to paper was beyond him, but at least she had listened in class. "Congratulations, Nazuna Uzumaki. You are a now an official kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf."

Nazuna held out her hand as the hitai-ate was placed within her palm. Observing the object casually, she placed it into the pouch around her waist. Her blue eyes met Iruka's in an unwavering stare. "Don't go too hard on him, Iruka-sensei. Naruto is nervous enough without your help," she said calmly.

Iruka took a mental step back, wondering why she didn't look at all happy to be graduating, but almost seemed aggravated about it. The chuunin rubbed his hand over his mouth, not sure how to respond to her statements. Apparently a response wasn't necessary as she left the room before he could even form a sentence. In her place, Naruto Uzumaki stepped into the room with an apprehensive look on his usually cheerful face. His blue eyes darted around the room before settling on the two chuunin sitting in the back of the room.

His teacher gave him the same encouraging smile he showed all of his students, but tried to put more feeling into it. Looking at Naruto now, the chuunin could almost see a younger version of himself standing in the blonde's place. Maybe that was why he was so hard on him, because Naruto reminded him of a time in his life that Iruka had had the same outlook on life. Naruto wanted the same thing he had wanted as a child: attention. "Alright, Naruto, you may go now."

Naruto gulped, the sound much too loud for his own ears. Remembering what his sister had said about remaining calm, he tried his best to slow his heartbeat. Forming the hand seals his twin had drilled into him, the blond swallowed as a puff of smoke filtered into the room. As the smoke cleared, three illusionary clones were visible.

It was more than Iruka had been expecting, a much different picture in his head. Not only was Naruto able to create three clones, but they all resembled him to some degree. It would have made him proud if this were his first year, but unfortunately for Naruto this was the final exam. Iruka wished he could tell him that he did a good job, but the illusions were too weak to be considered passable. They stood with their shoulders hunched like a hundred pounds rested on their backs, the colors were washed out, and two of them only had four whiskers.

Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose in disappointment. "You fail, Naruto. I'm sorry, but you will not be graduating with your class this year."

"Iruka-sensei, give me another chance, please! I can't fail!"

Mizuki's eyes softened. "Iruka, can't we just give him a break this once? He did manage to create three images that resembled him, even if they were flawed. You can't allow one Uzumaki to graduate and not the other. We both know how attached they are," the man said amiably.

"No, Mizuki. While Naruto did manage to fill the quota, the clones are too weak for me to pass him. This isn't a classroom quiz; this is for him to become a shinobi. He can't go out into the world with clones like these. He'll be killed." He sighed out loud, rubbing his temple to ease the headache. It looked like another year of pranks was in store for him. "Nazuna was able to complete the assignment flawlessly; her graduation was deserved. It isn't as if becoming a kunoichi will take her away from him, Mizuki."

Mizuki sighed, giving Naruto an apologizing look. "I'm sorry, Naruto."

The Uzumaki's eyes fell to the floor, sadness practically emanating from him. Why couldn't Iruka just see that he had tried? Would it really be that bad to just give him a break for once? Why was Iruka so hard on him all the time?

Naruto didn't bother going back to class after that. He didn't want to be surrounded by all of the people that had graduated; he didn't want to see Kiba and Hinata's face. It was like his whole world had crashed around him, nothing was going the way it was supposed to. Nazuna and him were supposed to graduate together, were supposed to become kickass shinobi _together_. It was his fault for telling her to pass, she had been willing to stay behind with him, but his failure shouldn't stop his sister from moving on.

Crossing the small clearing in front of the Academy, Naruto straddled the lone swing hanging from the tree. He sat there with his eyes downcast, his feet kicking the dirt lamely. It wasn't long before parents began filing toward the Academy doors, waiting for their children to come out with their new hitai-ate. A part of him absently wondered what it would be like if _he_ had someone out there waiting on him, how different his life would be.

The doors opened, hoards of children pouring out from the building with bright smiles. Hidden in the shade of the tree, Naruto watched his feet as words of congratulations for the other kids filled his ears. He didn't notice Nazuna had approached him until she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The blond looked up, blue meeting identical blue in a concerned gaze. His sister gestured with her head for him to scoot and he sat in the swing properly, making sure to make enough room on the wooden seat for her. She sat down beside him on the swing only meant for one. It wasn't very comfortable, but he couldn't complain. "I failed," he said.

"I know." Nazuna looked at the mass of people in front of the Academy. Several individuals were glancing their way, hiding their words childishly behind hands raised up to their mouths.

"That boy over there is the only one that didn't graduate."

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, what if they let someone like _that_ become a shinobi…you know, considering."

"Don't bring that up here!"

"I'm just surprised they let one of those brats graduate."

Her eyes narrowed into an icy glare, wondering why her gaze couldn't force people to spontaneously combust on command. The gossipers flinched, each turning their head away like the cowards they were. Nazuna scoffed internally before returning her eyes to her brother, who looked like his dreams had just been crushed under a giant's foot. _We learn from our failures, Naru-kun. _

_ How do you know that? I'm never going to graduate if I can't perform a simple clone jutsu. _

_ Do you remember the first time you performed the Sexy No Jutsu? I didn't think a woman could look that horrible, but you proved me wrong. I think I almost gagged. _Nazuna made the effort to fake a shiver at the memory. The edges of her twin's lips twitched, encouraging her to go on. _That was a failure, but you kept working on it. Now that technique works on Iruka-sensei like a charm. I bet it would even work on the old man. _

Naruto threw an awkward arm over her shoulders, pulling her frame closer to him in a weird hug that was uncomfortable for the both of them. _You're right, Nazu-chan. I'm not going to give up. This time next year I'll have that jutsu mastered, dattebayo! _

Nazuna chuckled silently. It would be hard to move on without him, maybe even impossible, but during that time she would solve the mystery behind the hatred aimed at them. The oldest Uzumaki would become strong enough to deal with that voice in her head and she would be there to help out Naruto once he graduated. The twins would become the most powerful shinobi in the village and the villagers would beg for mercy at their feet.

Something about that thought made her cringe. When had her thoughts become so dark?

Mizuki watched the twins, trying to work out the finer details of his plan. The female twin was not as dimwitted as her brother and would be able to see through his schemes like they were glass. It didn't need the both of them, but separating them would be a problem. Seeing one twin without the other was one of the rarest occurrences in the natural world. He would have to be smart about this before his window of opportunity closed.

The chuunin waited until the twins left the Academy behind, walking side by side on the road.

"Did you need something, Mizuki-sensei?" Nazuna angled her gaze over her shoulder, giving him a curious glance.

"I would like a word with Naruto," he said kindly. "I think we should discuss what happened today." Naruto and she turned completely to give the chuunin their full attention.

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[Author's Note]: Who would have ever guessed Nazuna would be afraid of heights?

(Edited 1/31/14: I changed Naruto's exam, but still allowed him to fail for specific reasons. This way he isn't as far behind as he originally was and the twins are not_ that_ far apart in skill.)

I've gotten some reviews about Naruto being weak and pathetic compared to Nazuna, but he wasn't really that strong in the beginning of canon. Let's not forget he didn't really improve until he learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu and after the Land of Waves Arc. His time is coming, trust me.

Thank you so much for reading!


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